Cruise ships could one day be replaced by giant floating metropolises, a
travel agent has predicted

A concept image for a vessel of the future has been released, which does away with the traditional cruise holiday. Instead, a central pod is shown surrounded by three luxury hotels, which may not even enter port.

According to the website Bonvoyage.co.uk, which created the designs, the floating resorts could be favoured due to a “rising global population and an increasing lack of space on dry land”.

It adds that “with so many options to while away the hours on board, the seafaring cities wouldn’t need to speed from port to port offering cultural days out; the emphasis would be shifted from speed through the water to comfort and aesthetic appeal. With multiple helipads, passengers could join the cruise at any time so the giant ships wouldn't even necessarily need to dock.”

While research has suggested that a number of cruise passengers do not leave their ship until the end of their journey, Teresa Machan, Telegraph Travel’s cruise editor questioned whether the designs were realistic, or could even be described as “cruising”.

“Although [the designs] take resort-style elements from the larger US firms, such as Carnival, Disney and to a lesser degree Royal Caribbean International, the concept sounds more akin to a resort or theme park that happens to be at sea,” she said.

“If anything, cruise ships are moving more towards destination-driven itineraries and building in more overnights and time ashore for passengers.”

Other aspects of the design include underwater bridges linking the different pods, while the hotels “are surrounded by a translucent facade that can open and rotate in fair weather”. On-board entertainment includes roller coasters, waterslides, and a sports stadium above deck, as well as cinemas, bowling alleys and restaurants below it.

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